Darkness

Light and darkness are primary motifs in A Streetcar Named Desire. With such a dark subject, there are times when certain things need to be hidden and others exposed. The director does an excellent job in mastering the elements of light and dark to highlight the characters and events.

One example of this motif is Blanche's behavior with Mitch. Blanche realizes that she is no longer as young and attractive as she once was. In her world of fantasy, she wants Mitch to fall in love with her perfect ideal of herself. In order to present this ideal, Blanche makes sure that they only go out at night. She also takes Mitch to darkened places and never allows him to come close in harsh lights. Blanche wants to keep any flaws in her looks and in her character to herself so she can protect her relationship with Mitch...